NMC glossary · Patients, privacy and consent
Patient Consent: What It Means Under The NMC Rules
Also searched as: Consent, Informed consent for publicity
Where consent is legally required for using a patient’s information, it must be specific, informed, voluntary, documented and capable of verification. But consent alone never makes a testimonial, patient story or before-and-after depiction acceptable.
Updated 7 November 2026. Reviewed by Tamojit Lodh, Founder of Medmatis. Built around the NMC's Public Notice No. R-13014/01/2024-Ethics of 6 October 2026. Not legal advice.
Key facts, with sources
Hide the 4 key facts and their sourcesShow the 4 key facts and their sources
| Fact | Detail | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Term | Patient consent (also searched as Consent, Informed consent for publicity) | Medmatis |
| In the notice | Not defined by the notice; this entry explains how the notice uses it. | NMC notice of 6 Oct 2026, cl. 6.2, cl. 6.3 |
| Applies to | Doctors (RMPs) and hospitals/medical institutions | NMC notice of 6 Oct 2026 |
| In force | From 6 October 2026, with immediate effect. The NMC may issue clarifications and advisories (cl. 12). | NMC notice of 6 Oct 2026 |
In plain words
Clause 6.3 sets the standard for consent where the law requires it: specific, informed, voluntary, documented and capable of verification, in line with privacy and data-protection law. The form and way of recording it depend on the applicable law and on the nature and purpose of the use.
Clause 6.2 is the one that surprises people: patient consent does not, by itself, make permissible any testimonial, endorsement, promotional patient story, before-and-after depiction, success claim or other practice that is otherwise prohibited. Consent is a condition for some uses; it is not a way round the other rules.
What it does not mean
- It does not mean a signed consent form lets you publish a patient video or story for promotion. If the use is otherwise prohibited, consent does not change that.
- It does not supply a consent template. The notice leaves the form and mode of recording to the applicable law.
The notice’s own words
Quoted from the NMC notice of 6 October 2026. Check the clause number against the original.
cl. 6.2Patient consent shall not, by itself, make permissible any testimonial, endorsement, promotional patient story, before-and-after depiction, success claim or other advertising practice that is otherwise prohibited under these Guidelines or applicable law.
cl. 6.3Where consent is legally required, it shall be specific, informed, voluntary, documented and capable of verification, and shall comply with applicable privacy and data-protection law. The form and mode of recording consent shall be determined in accordance with the applicable law and the nature and purpose of the proposed use.
Our plain-language guide to the whole notice → Check your own text against these rules →
Frequently asked questions
Is a signed consent form enough to post a patient’s video?
Not by itself. If the content is a testimonial, promotional patient story, before-and-after or success claim, consent does not make it permissible (cl. 6.2). Where consent is legally required it must also be specific, informed, voluntary and documented (cl. 6.3).
What kind of consent does the notice ask for?
Where consent is legally required, it must be specific, informed, voluntary, documented and capable of verification, and comply with privacy and data-protection law (cl. 6.3).
This entry explains a public notice in plain language and quotes its clause numbers. It is not legal advice. Read the original NMC notice and take advice on your own situation.
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